Video justice for Flavell

NEW ZEALAND Barbarians lock Troy Flavell will have his disciplinary hearing staged by video conference after the New Zealand Rugby Football Union handed jurisdiction on the matter over to their English counterparts.

NEW ZEALAND Barbarians lock Troy Flavell will have his disciplinary hearing staged by video conference after the New Zealand Rugby Football Union handed jurisdiction on the matter over to their English counterparts.

Flavell was cited for breaking the nose of England captain Richard Hill with a swinging right arm in the 60th minute of last Saturday's Zurich World Champions Challenge at Twickenham.

The incident went unpunished by French referee Joel Jutge but an official complaint from England's management to match judicial officer Jeff Blackett has prompted the hearing.

An agreement prior to the friendly - staged to celebrate England's World Cup triumph - meant any citing complaints would be dealt with by the player's home union.

But despite Flavell having already returned home to New Zealand, the NZRFU have referred the matter back to the Rugby Football Union who will hold the hearing next Monday at 9am.

"I am content to take back jurisdiction in this case if the NZRFU feel more comfortable with that course of action," said Blackett, who will preside over the disciplinary hearing.

"We had agreed that the player's own union should deal with citing complaints to make the administration of justice easier for all concerned and thus preventing the need to keep players and officials in this country pending a hearing.

"However, the important issue is that any allegations of foul play are properly investigated and dealt with as thoroughly as possible. We have therefore set up a hearing via a video conference, so that the appropriate disciplinary action can be considered.

"I have written to the NZRFU accepting jurisdiction and I have asked them to provide the appropriate facilities in New Zealand from which they can receive the video conference."

Flavell, a combative second row whose physical approach has seen him flirt with the rugby authorities on more than one occasion before, is looking at a probable three-week ban.